Energy > Liquid biofuels
(Biocomponents and fuel additives)

The road transport sector is dependent on non-renewable hydrocarbon resources which are to a large extent responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. In the European Union the objective is to harness renewable energy resources for 12% of energy consumption. In this context, under pilot conditions, liquid biofuels, particularly ester but also ethanol, could cover 2% of transport fuel needs.

The price gap between biofuels and fossil fuels is currently close to 0.3 euros/litre. This price difference could be reduced to less than 0,15 euros/litre in ten years, through research focusing on the oilseed/methyl ester supply chain and the glucidic crops/ethanol-ETBE (ethyl-tertio-butyl-ethanol) supply chain, coupled with economies of scale in industrial plants and development of markets for products (additives) and byproducts (glycerol, pulp, etc). Positive externalities associated with biofuels, including jobs, impact on the greenhouse effect and on the trade balance, have been estimated at 0,15 euros/litre.

Biofuels have much to offer as additives to improve the formulation of motor fuels. This utilisation, which meets in part the objectives set by the European fuel quality directive, is a potential market outlet for plant-based components, even if its scope is limited to reformulated fuels.

In this context AGRICE is making a sustained effort to support long-term research in biofuels and bioadditives, based on current production (226,000 tonnes/year of vegetable oil ester and 98,000 t/yr of ethanol for processing into ETBE in 1998). The aim is to make these fuel additives more competitive in all ways and enhance their capacity to mitigate the greenhouse effect and reduce certain kinds of polluting emissions.

AGRICE has funded environmental and technical/economic assessments in support of R&D activities.